Meet Nixon: food provider & community leader

“I had to fight for my own food at the age of 17 - it was a difficult experience”

Orphaned at the age of 17, Nixon took it upon himself to take care of his two younger siblings. Forced to find a way to support his family, he had to fight for his own meals and took a job as a dishwasher in a small restaurant in Nairobi, Kenya. Thanks to the business acumen he inherited from his mother, he rose to the rank of manager at this same restaurant, after 6 short months of working there. At this point in time, he realized he had a passion for food. He went to university and graduated with a degree in Food Science and Technology, while running the student cafeteria. 
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Armed with a degree and a desire to help those not as fortunate as him, he opened a restaurant, Ohigla Restaurant, in Kisumu - Kenya’s third biggest city. His goal was simple: ensure that his community, unlike his younger self, would have access to high quality, affordable, traditional African meals. “Ugali [a traditional, African maize flour porridge] is definitely my favorite meal - I could eat it everyday at any time of the day” he tells us. Over the years, the restaurant grew to be a great hit within the community. Nixon even added a car washing service for his busiest customers

“I don’t want to increase my prices or sacrifice the quality of the food we serve - people in my community may have lost their jobs, but they still have to eat” 

When the pandemic hit, the Kenyan government forced most businesses to shut down to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Nixon found himself no longer able to serve his customers at the restaurant or the carwash. Accustomed to facing hardship, he knew he had to adapt quickly to survive. His plan was simple: “if people can’t come to the food, the food will have to come to them”.

His Mkono loan allowed him to buy food supplies directly from the source. When COVID-19  happened, prices for food supplies increased 30-40%. Wanting to keep his prices reasonable, Nixon started sourcing food directly from the farmer. With his loan, he bought a freezer and placed a bulk order directly from the source.

He also started doing deliveries to continue to serve his clients during COVID-19. Nixon bought a motorcycle to be able to deliver meals to his customers. With 1L of fuel, for the cost of 0.90USD (90 KSH), he can reach up to 100 customers.
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​“I’d like to open more branches of my restaurant in the future, so that people can continue having access to high quality, affordable meals.”

With three young children to feed and a loving wife, Nixon has no plans of stopping anytime soon. The entrepreneur sees himself continuing working in the restaurant industry and expanding to at least 2 new locations within the next 5 years. Next time you’re in Kisumu, make sure to drop by Ohigla Restaurant for the best fish in town!